How other customers use the ING-DiBa

The entire private payment transfer takes place through the ING-DiBa. The monthly salary is deposited, the standing order for the rent is transferred and the telephone company also debits punctually.

The daily purchases are paid with the Girocard and occasionally, one withdraws cash conveniently at the supermarket checkout.

Outside the opening hours, there are 58,000 ATMs for free cash withdrawals in Germany. For this, one uses the Visa Card.

Even an account credit line (overdraft facility) can be set up from the beginning, so that no chargebacks can happen at payment overlapses!

Credit card

There are also people, who have only applied for the current account in order to get a permanently free “credit card”.

Often, a credit card is needed for online stores, when booking cheap flights, hotel reservations or making a deposit at the car rental. This can be done well using the ING-DiBa Visa Card.

If one sets up an overdraft facility, one even has a “true” credit card with credit line. When applying for the overdraft facility, one must submit a salary certificate, however, the regular incoming transfer of the salary is not required!

This is a huge advantage to other banks!

Secondary account

Some have opened the account in order to have a separate accounting from the main current account. It is used e.g. as a hobby account or for private eBay purchases and sales.

The idea of keeping the online shopping separated from the main account is a good means for more and more people due to the increasing scams on the internet.

Emergency account

Some people have set up the account only for emergencies. The cards were ordered and tested for their functionality. Some test transfers were made. Everything works. If the main current account should be blocked at some point, one can immediately perform the entire payment transfers through the already fully set up and immediately functional reserve account.

Most often, this is done by people, who became victims of online scams and then had problems, because their account was blocked and they had to live a few days without a working account and cards. This is not a nice experience! Prevention is better than cure.

Presentation of some great account features

Transfer via banking app

1. Banking-App

Many people, who extensively use their smartphones / iPhone, love to make banking on the road. ING-DiBa offers an extensive banking app.

One cannot only retrieve the account balance, but make all kinds of transfers. Up to the photo transfer. In this system, one takes a photo of a bill or a bank transfer form and, in the best case, the software recognizes all relevant payment data and transfers it to the transfer mask.

This, of course, does not yet work with all designs of bills, but the discerning technique continues to develop and improve.

Through the banking app, one can manage the most other bank accounts for savings, securities or loans.

Of course you can do internet banking easily on the computer with a large monitor and keyboard or use the telephone banking.

Of course, you can also use the internet banking comfortably on the computer with the big monitor and keyboard or through telephone banking.

2. The cards

Each current account customer receives the Girocard as well as the Visa Card automatically and for free. To keep the use free of charge for you, some things have to be considered:

Use the Visa Card to withdraw cash. In Germany, you have 58,000 ATMs for fee-free withdrawals at your disposal. That applies to about 90 per cent of all ATMs.

The resulting standard charges are automatically borne by the ING-DiBa for you! If an ATM operator wants to charge you additional fees, then he/she must display this before the withdrawal and you can still cancel the operation.

With the Girocard, you can withdraw money at the 1,200 own ATMs of the ING-DiBa. These are usually located at petrol stations.

The banking app also supplies you with an ATM finder. These are easy to find thanks to the interactive map.

If you are currently shopping anyway in the markets Penny, Rewe, Netto or toom, you can withdraw cash from your account when paying with the Girocard. You get the cash from the supermarket cash register. The debit will be made, just like the purchase itself, from your current account.

In the abroad Euro countries (e.g. Spain), you use the Visa Card to withdraw free of charge.

In the abroad with foreign currency (e.g. Switzerland), you use the Visa Card up to a converted amount of Euros 286, and for withdrawals beyond this limit you should use the Girocard.

Background is the fee structure for foreign currencies. The withdrawal itself is free of charge with the Visa Card, however, there is a fee for the currency exchange of 1.75 per cent. This does not apply to the Girocard, but the price list here has a general withdrawal fee of Euros 5.

Both cards make the debit transfer right after the withdrawal / payment from the current account (debit system).

3. The overdraft facility

Who wants, can apply for the overdraft facility right after the account opening (can also be made at any time later – if the application on overdraft facility should be rejected first, one has a new chance after every 6 months).

Interestingly, one gets an overdraft facility granted immediately at the ING-DiBa – provided an appropriate creditworthiness. One does not have to wait several months, as usual in some other banks, until the salary payments are credited to the account.

Better yet: At the ING-DiBa, the incoming salary payments to the account are not necessary at all! Thus, you can have a correspondingly large overdraft facility at two banks! However, and this is understandable, the bank wants to see how much money you earn. At an application for the overdraft facility, one submits a copy of the latest pay slip.

Whether you apply for the overdraft facility right at account opening or save the option for later is entirely your decision.

“Free current account with great features”

Note: At the account opening, a place of residence in Germany is required. After the account opening, it can be changed to one abroad. Online banking and customer service are only available in German language. However, one is often lucky when calling the customer service that the staff speaks English or partially also French.

Questions about the current account of the ING-DiBa?

Since the 28th of January 2008, I have my own free current account and the two cards of the bank. Even if I do not use the account regularly due to other banks that I present on our special portal (back then, I have set it up as an emergency account), I or my team are glad to answer your questions about the account opening and use via the comments box.

Of course, I would be especially thankful for support by dedicated readers and account holders. Thank you for being with DeutschesKonto.ORG!

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Who writes here?

Someone who gained experience with more than 100 banks in more than 20 countries during the past 15 years. My name is Gregor and if you click to continue you can find out why I am here and what this site is for ⇒ continue.

in Germany, you normally have to pay taxes (“Kapitalertragssteuer”) for you bank account interest.

However, you have the option of issuing a exemption order for capital gains (“Freistellungsauftrag”) with the bank, wich means that you will only be taxed for such capital gains (as in interest) that go beyond 801 EUR for a single person and 1602 EUR for joint accounts of a married couple.

Then, only the amount beyond that will be subject to Kapitalertragssteuer. If that is the case, and there actually is still Kapitalertragssteuer to pay, the bank will automatically forward it to the tax authorities.

The bank’s focus is on German language clients, and the account agreement as well as the das online-banking are only available in German. However, you don’t have to be able to speak perfect German to open and use the account. During the legitimization process the bank employee will gladly switch into some English language, if you prefer that. However, they will speak some German with you to see, if you have some basic German knowledge – because how else could one be able to use the bank, if one does not understand them?

I tried to open a DKB cash account but I was not accepted (no idea why, trying the form as a German citizen with the same income and everything the same it was accepted, so I’m guessing SCHUFA check was not a reason), DKB I liked it because of the option to use positive credit balances on the VISA Sparen card as a saving account with interest rate. Is the same option available on the ING DiBa account?

With ING-DiBa it is different: It is a debit-Visa Card, directly connected with the giro account. Money on that giro account does not accumulate any interest. ING-DiBa offers (additionally) a savings account with interest. It is called Extra-Konto.

Tipp: You can turn your debit Visa Card into a “real” credit card by applying for an overdraft of the giro account.

Thanks for your reply. My current bank is Commerzbank, so ING DiBa would be my secondary savings account. Extra-Konto in ING DiBa has 1% interest rate, while Commerzbank equivalent (Tagesgeld I believe) has 0%, am I correct?

Ing-Diba account opening difficult as a foreigner without an Aufenthaltstitel. Account opening process still requires hard-copy and is lengthy, application form mentions a Schufa check even if not requesting a credit facility. Seems they’re not interested in short-term visitors/overseas customers that can speak German and have a local postal address … in the meantime my N26 continues to work well.

ING-DiBa is Germany’s biggest direct bank. They only open bank accounts for people living in Germany. Therefore, if you want to open an account with ING-DiBa, then you need an address in Germany.

Some further advice: There are special providers that offer the possibility to open an account while you are still abroad, and you can even transfer money to that new account. It will only be activated for full use, once the legitimization process after your arrival in Germany has been performed. Such services are naturally not free of charge. You can find further info here: https://www.deutscheskonto.org/en/online-account-opening/

Since ING-DiBa does not have local branches where you could exchange your money into a different currency, your best option for that would one of the regular exchange services at airports and large railway stations. You do not need to be a customer there.

The ING-DiBa services, especially online banking, are offered in German language only. That means, in order to do the online banking, you at least have to have a rudimentary knowledge of the respective vocabulary.

When it comes to customer service and you call within general business hours, you have a good chance that there is someone available who speaks English and might be able to at least answer some general qustions. What they cannot do though – for legal reasons – is conduct any kind of actual banking procedures (e.g. transfers) with you over the phone in English language.

the amount as such would probably not be the problem, but the credit line amount that is initially agreed upon normally needs to stay like this for up to a year, before it can be increased. I would advise to give them a call after a couple of months, after the account has had a bit of time to develop, and ask about your possibilities. They don’t have a “regular” English language customer service, but you will find that quite a few people do speak English and will probably be able to help you.

Hi,
I’ve been a regular reader of this site and would like to share my experiences. I come from a non-EU country and have been living in Germany for almost 5 years now. I have my primary account with Commerzbank. I also have a significant Credit Line that’s shared by my Current Account and a Credit Card, but I’ve never used it. I have my secondary account along with a Securities account (Depotkonto) at Consorsbank. As I’m not really happy with this bank, I’ve been considering a switch to DKB.

But like most foreigners, I got declined by DKB for a Current Account without a Credit Line. A week later, I happened to request a Schufa report (as part of my apartment hunt) and found my Schufa score to be pretty impressive and no negative entries.

Then I tried ING-DiBa and got the account approved immediately with a Credit Line of €3000. The whole process was very smooth and I’m quite impressed by the overall User Experience at ING. Now I’m going to open a Depotkonto at ING and complete my move from Consorsbank to ING.

PS: PostIdent at Deutsche Post was the only bad experience that i had. It was definitely not ING’s fault. Deutsche Post treats us (Non-EU citizens) like shit. Our passports are deemed ‘too risky’ for online legitimation. At the Post Office branches, they’ve introduced new Passport reading machines and guess what? They work only for EU, US & Canadian Passports. Luckily, ING offered me an alternative solution to complete this step.

Hello,
Thank you very much for all the information here, very helpful!
I have a question considering the credit line in ING-DiBa, when I open my account, I applied for a credit of 8000 Euros (3 times my net income) and got declined. Now, I am trying to apply again but it seems that the option (Dispo ändern) does not appear on Internet banking. What is the work around for this? Although I am not a EU citizen but I have very good SCHUFA score and an unlimited contract with my company!
Thanks in advance

You can apply for an increase oft he Dispo/overdraft facility in the online banking. In order to do that, you log into your giro account and go to „mehr Funktionen“ (more features). Only then a tab with „Dispokredit ändern“ (change overdraft facility) will show. This feature does not show on a permanent base, because it is not used that often.

Maybe it makes sense to give the bank a call, because they can do the procedure with you over the phone and can also give you tips according to your personal situation. ING-DiBa has an extra credit department with quite good people. We talk with them from time to time, too.